This invention relates generally to dry cleaning machines, and more particularly, to a dual particulate filter for a dry cleaning machine.
At least some known dry cleaning machines include a cabinet that houses an outer tub for containing a quantity of dry cleaning fluid, a perforated clothes basket within the tub, and a storage tank for storing the dry cleaning fluid. A drive and motor assembly is mounted underneath the stationary outer tub to rotate the basket within the tub. Generally, the dry cleaning machine performs a cleaning cycle followed by a spin cycle and a drying cycle.
In at least one cleaning cycle, the clothes are saturated with cleaning fluid and tumbled in an amount of cleaning fluid. The dry cleaning fluid dissolves certain fluid soluble soils. The clothes are tumbled to dislodge some insoluble soils and generally to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Due to the cost of the dry cleaning fluid, the fluid is not discarded, rather, the dry cleaning fluid is filtered to remove particulates, such as lint, cleaned, and returned to the storage tank for reuse.
In a typical drying cycle, the cleaning fluid is drained from the tub and fluid remaining in the clothes after spinning is evaporated from the clothes to dry the clothes. The evaporated cleaning fluid is condensed and liquefied and returned to the storage tank. A dry filter is generally provided to remove air borne particulates such as lint or fabric fibers that come from the clothes during drying. Air is not exhausted from the dry cleaning machine during the drying cycle to facilitate the recapture of the evaporated fluid. Further, the dry cleaning machine is generally sealed during operation to inhibit the emission of cleaning fluid vapors, some of which could be harmful, into the home.
While the dry cleaning machine gives the consumer the capability to clean some fabrics for which washing in water could be harmful, the dry cleaning machine has certain detriments. For instance, there are separate wet and dry filters that the consumer must remember to clean to prevent inefficient operation of the dry cleaning machine.